2014 Mexico-US Screenplay Treatment Competition

The Latin American Training Center-LATC, with support by the Tucson Film Office, the National Association of Latino Independent Producer-NALIP, the University of Arizona Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Sonora Turismo and Film Commission, the Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara and Final Draft Screenwriting Software, announces the 2014 Mexico-US Screenplay Treatment Competition, addressed to new, talented US and Mexican screenwriters.

Focused on cross-border themes, the competition aims to encourage co-productions of feature films (fiction or documentaries) between Mexico and the US, to promote location shooting in borders states and as well as to help new writers find success in today’s highly competitive film and entertainment industries.

The Competition, announced during the Festival International de Cine de Guadalajara – FICG 29 (www.ficg.mx/29/index.php/en), is open to filmmakers and screenwriters, over 18 years of age, with a university degree in any field, on both sides of the border, whose work has not yet been produced. The application period runs April 1 – May 10, 2014. Submissions must be in the form of a three-page feature-length screenplay treatment (fiction or documentary) in either English or Spanish, with a cross-border theme (Mexico-US).

The submissions will be judged by a Selection Committee according to criteria established in the Competition Regulations. The Selection Committee will be drawn from the supporting organizations. A completed script is not required to participate.

The first-place winning screenplay treatment from Mexico and the first-place winning screenplay treatment from the US will each receive a U$500 cash award from LATC, toward development of the screenplays, and a Gift Certificate for digital download of Final Draft 9 screenwriting software.

In addition, the two winning treatments and the four runners up, from both Mexico and the US (a total of 10 treatments), will be made available to production companies on both sides of the border for possible acquisition, development and/or production. They will also receive a copy of the LATC publication, “Latin American Cinema Today: The Director’s Perspective”.

The results of the Competition will be announced in June, in press releases of the sponsoring organizations, on the LATC website and by other means to be determined by the sponsors and LATC.